Thursday, June 24, 2010

if you are aware then you can care…

now in the story that JESUS tells in luke 10, the good samaritan did some things that we need to do if we’re going to learn to be kinder, loving people. if you want to become a kinder person, a great lover...

you must first see the needs of people around you. kindness always begins with the eyes – the way you look, the way you see. it always begins with your vision, the way you observe things. if you’re not aware of needs, you can’t care about those needs.

the bible says in luke 10.33b (ms), when he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. notice when he saw. that is the starting point.

there are wounded people all over your world but you don’t just see it. why? one word – busyness. hurry is the death of kindness.

listen. if you’re going to learn to be a kinder person, you’ve got to slow down. you don’t see it unless you slow down.

let’s say you’re going to take a trip across country. you’re married, you’ve got a family, and you want them to see what your country is really like. you’ve got a lot of different opportunities for transportation. you could take the plane. that would get you to other side faster, but you won’t see much of the country. because the faster you go, the less you see.

you could take a train, which would be slower than a plane. you would see definitely a lot more because you’re going slower. on the other hand, if you took a car trip with your family, you’d go even slower than a train and you’d see even more. but if you really wanted to see the country, you’d walk. if you’d walk, you’d see more of your country than if you took a plane.

if you want to see it, you’ve got to slow down. the slower you go, the more you see.

the bible says this, look out for the good of others. 1 corinthians 10.24 (ncv). notice look out.

the first step to kindness is to ask GOD to give you SPIRITual radar, that you would be on the lookout for people in need around you who are hurting emotionally, SPIRITually, physically and in any other way. those who need help. those who need encouragement. those who need concern. those who need a hug or a pat on the back.

just a thought from the front porch…

1 comment:

nothingprofound said...

I have a car, but I rarely use it, for the very reason you mentioned: I want to see the people, the world, around me. I walk everywhere, and the slower I walk, the more I see. And the more I see, the more precious and beautiful everything seems.